Ziva and Jimmy are not in this story, but I plan on adding them in following stories.

In this story, Gibbs and Jenny Shepard have been married for a little over a year. Jenny works for Homeland Security.

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Tony smiled as he stacked the last can of corn on the shelf; he was finished for the night. The sixteen-year-old walked to the front of the small grocery store, where the owner was standing.

"I'm finished Mr. Baker." Tony told the middle aged man.

Baker handed him an envelope and said, "See you Monday Tony."

"See you, Sir." Tony took the envelope and left the store, stepping into the frigid night air. The teen pulled his worn jacket tighter around him and started walking down the sidewalk, heading towards a Dollar General store a couple blocks away.

Today was Saturday, and Saturday was payday. For the last three paydays, every since he became big brother to three other kids, that meant a trip to Dollar General to buy food. The next day he usually went to Sav-A-Lot to buy some meat. Food at these two places were a lot cheaper then at Mr. Baker's grocery store.

Tony was grateful for the job, although he knew he was being used by the owner. Baker paid him under the table, which meant that Tony didn't need his Social Security number or parental consent. But it also meant that Baker could pay him less then minimum wage.

Tony walked into the store and grabbed a basket, then quickly shopped. He became pretty good at making his money last. He was usually broke by the next payday, but the kids never went hungry.

The teen quickly walked past the toy ales with the usual guilty feeling, he would love to be able to splurge and buy the younger kids toys and books. But he knew he had to be realistic, he knew he couldn't afford that. He did pick up a couple bags of cheap candy.

He knew that Tim and Abby loved Pixie Sticks, and that Sarah loved Gummy Bears. After making his selections, he checked out. Then went back out into the freezing night and headed to the motel they were staying at, it was a block away.

The motel was run down and in desperate need of repair. But it was cheap and no one bothered them as long as they paid when they were supposed to. They had a small room rented, it had two beds, a small table with two chairs, a refrigerator, and a small bathroom. It didn't have a kitchen, but they had an electric skillet, a hot plate, and a couple pans that Tony had found at a yard sale.

Tony made it to the motel room, his hands were full, and so he kicked the door with his foot. "Let me in, Abbs." He called out.

The door was opened and the young girl stepped aside so he could pass, then she relocked the door.

"Hey Tony." She smiled. "Just sit them down and I'll make you a plate, we can put the stuff up."

"Thanks." He said, sitting at the table. "Smells good."

Abby grabbed a plate and scooped spaghetti out of the electric skillet, then handed the plate to Tony.

"Looks good too." He said, taking the plate. "Important part is it tastes good." He said, with a mouth full of spaghetti.

"Boys are so gross." Sarah said, wrinkling her nose.

"Is that so?" Tony asked the five-year-old.

"Yup."

"I agree with ya, Sarah." Abby said.

"Hey." Tim protested.

"Come on." Abby said, as she started putting the items away. Tim and Sarah started helping.

The room had no shelves, so they used three milk crates that Tony got from Baker. The crates were turned sideways and stacked on top of one another.

Tony ate and watched the younger kids, wishing he could provide more for them then he could. The teen never saw himself as the responsible older brother type, but he easily fell into the roll. For the past three weeks, he had done his best to keep them safe and cared for.

Abby was the first one he met, he smiled as he remembered that day.

FLASHBACK

Tony was walking down the sidewalk, going no where in particular. He heard a commotion up ahead and saw a crowd of people gathering, so he went to check it out. He weaved between the spectators and got to the front of the crowd, and stared in shock at what he saw.

A boy he guessed was around his age was being beat up by a girl that couldn't have been more then thirteen. She threw a final punch and the boy landed on the ground, then stood up and ran away. The girl stood glaring at the retreating boy.

"What the hell was that about?" Tony asked another boy.

"See that old geyser?" he asked, nodding towards an elderly man in a wheelchair. The young girl was now handing the man a wallet.

"yeah."

"The boy stole his wallet and tried to run, that chick stopped him."

Tony watched as the man offered the girl some money, but she refused. She was wearing black boots that came up to her knees, a plaid skirt, a black shirt with a white scull and cross bones, and a spiked dog collar. Her black hair was put up in matching pig tails.

Tony heard a siren approaching and figured that someone caledl the police because of the fight, so he started walking away. He didn't want the police to see him. He took another look at the girl and was a little surprised that she took off running, apparently she didn't want the police to see her either.

Tony saw her run into an ally and frowned, he knew that alley, there was no where to hid. With a sigh, Tony also ran into the alley. A kid with that much fire deserved a little help escaping from the cops, and Tony wanted to know more about her.

Tony entered the alley and saw her lifting a man hole and slipping into the sewer, there was no way he was going to follow her in there.

It was two days later when he saw her again, she was sitting in another alley. Her back was against a wall and she had her knees pulled up to her. Her slight frame was shaking.

Tony took off his jacket and walked over to her, slowly so he didn't startle her. She looked up and tried to scoot further back, but the wall prevented her from doing so.

"Relax." Tony smiled. "I'm harmless." He held the coat out to her, but she didn't make any movements. "Take it, you're freezing. This sweater will keep me warm enough until I get back to my motel room and my jacket." He lied. The sweater he was wearing was thick, but he was still cold.

The young girl slowly reached out and took the jacket, then put it on. "Thank you." She said.

"Name's Tony."

"Abby." She smiled.

Tony sat beside her and said, "I saw what you did to that wallet thief. Where did you learn how to fight?"

"Girl scouts."

"None of the girl scouts I've met can do that."

They sat in silence for a few moments, then Tony asked. "Can you go home? The streets are no place for a kid."

"I can take care of myself."

"No doubt about that." Tony grinned.

"My parents died." She said, softly.

"Mine too."

"The foster home they sent me too was pretty bad, the man who ran it liked to hit the kids. Seemed to get some kind of sick pleasure from it. So I left." Then she smiled and added, "After I made sure they wouldn't hurt anyone else."

"How'd you do that?"

"Videoed him beating me up, sent one copy to the police and another copy to the news station."

"Nice." Tony said.

"Figured the next one might be the same, so I split."

"Got a place to stay tonight?"

"You're looking at it."

"You can't stay here, you'll freeze to death."

"No other choices."

"Yes there is, you can crash at my motel room tonight."

She turned her head and looked at him.

"Relax." Tony chuckled and stood up, then reached out a hand to her. "You're cute, but too young."

Abby smiled and took his hand.

END FLASHBACK

Tony's concentration shifted to Tim and Sarah, those two were brother and sister. He had met them about a week after Abby moved in with him.

FLASHBACK

Tony and Abby were just about to enter a store, when the door flew open and a young boy flew out nearly knocking them down. A store clerk was right behind him, yelling for someone to call the police. The clerk stopped a few feet from the door and then angrily turned and went back into the store.

"We better split." Tony said. "In case they do call the cops."

"Yeah." Abby agreed. "Wonder what that kid did?"

"My guess is shoplifted."

"Probably."

They walked a couple blocks, then heard soft crying noises coming from an ally.

"Stay here." Tony said, then he slipped into the ally and followed the sounds. He found a little girl, he figured was about five, sitting on a wooden create. She was holding her hand to her small body and Tony saw that it had a cut on it and was bleeding.

"Hi there." Tony said gently. "I'm Tony."

"And I'm Abby."

"I thought I told you to wait." Tony said.

"You didn't say for how long."

"Get away from her." A voice said. They turned to see the young boy who had fled from the store, he was about twelve.

"Take it easy kid." Tony said. "We heard her crying and came to check on her, her hand's hurt."

"I cut it, Timmy." She cried, holding the injured hand up. The young boy was instantly beside her, carefully examining the wound.

"It doesn't look that bad." Abby said, as she too knelt beside the younger girl. "But it does need cleaned and bandaged."

Tony saw pack of lunch meat and bottle of water sticking out of the boy's pockets, he figured that the two were on their own.

"We've got medicine and bandages back at our place." He said. "Along with a hot shower and warm food."

"No thank you." The boy said, quickly.

"But I'm cold Timmy." The little girl cried.

Timmy looked at Tony with weary eyes.

"We won't hurt you." Abby smiled. "You'll be safe."

Timmy nodded, then said, "Thank you."

"Name's Tony, this is Abby."

"I'm Tim…Timothy McGee, this is my sister Sarah."

"You two alone?"

"Yes. Our parents died in a car crash, they tried to separate us so we left." He looked ashamed as he pulled the meat and water from his pockets, "W..we haven't ate in a while, I know stealing is wrong though."

"It's okay, kid." Tony smiled. "You did what you had to to feed you're little sister. But that's in the past, you don't have to steal anymore."

END FLASHBACK

Tony kept his word, he was determined that none of them would have to steal to survive.

"Tony." Sarah said, snapping him out of his memories.

"Yeah, Honey?"

"Can we have some candy? Please?"

Sure, but just a little. It's close to bedtime. You can more tomorrow after breakfast."

"Okay."

"Abbs, what's in the freezer? I plan on going meat shopping in the morning."

"We've got enough chicken for two meals and enough hamburger meat for one meal."

Tony finished his spaghetti, then went into the bathroom to wash his plate.

"Bedtime, Sarah." He said, went he came back in.

"Do I hafta?" the little girl asked, giving him her best puppy dog eyes.

"Yes." Was the answer.

"I'll tell you a story." Tim said.

"Kay." Sarah sighed, not happy about the idea. But she did like her big brother's stories.

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The next morning, Tony walked out of the bathroom and over to the girls' bed.

"Hey Abbs." He said, but the young girl didn't budge. "Abby." He said, a little louder.

The thirteen-year-old opened her eyes and glared at the older boy.

"I'm going to the store, I'll be back in a little while."

"Okay." She said, getting out of bed so she could lock the door behind him. Then she went back to bed.

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Tony hurried the two blocks to Sav-A-Lot, eager to get inside out of the cold. He decided to cut through an ally to shave some time off his walk, the alley ended at the back of the store.

He stopped walking when he heard two men arguing. Then he hid behind a garbage can when he saw the two men, one had a gun. Tony watched as the man with the gun shot the other man in the chest, then run away. Tony waited a moment, to make sure the gunman was gone, then he rushed to the fallen man's side.

The young teen grabbed the man's wrist to check his pulse, but found none. He knew the man was dead.

"Hey, what's going on?" A voice called out. Tony looked up and saw that a few people had come to find out what happened. He stood up and ran.

Tony went back to the motel and knocked. "Abbs." He called out. "It's me."

The door opened and Tony rushed inside, shutting the door behind him.

"Tony." Abby said. "What happened?"

"Nothing," He smiled.

Sarah looked up form where she was drawing at the table, then went back to her drawing. But Abby and Tim knew something happened.

"What happened?" Abby asked again."

Tony motioned for them to walk a few more feet away from the five-year-old. "I saw a man get killed, shot in the chest."

"Oh no." Abby clasped both hands over her mouth. "How awful."

"Who was he?' Tim asked.

"No idea."

"You have to go to the police." Tim said.

"Not a chance." Tony said.

Tim started to argue, but stopped. He knew Tony couldn't go to the police, they would all be separated.

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Gibbs and his team sat at their desks doing paperwork on a case that they had just wrapped up that morning, when Gibbs' phone rung. He answered it, then hung up.

"Gear up." He said, as he grabbed his gun and badge. "Dead Petty Officer."

Agents Stan Burly and Kate Todd quickly grabbed their gear and followed him. A little while latter, they were standing behind Sav-A-Lot. Ducky and his assistant, Gerald, were already there.

"What cha' got Duck?" Gibbs asked.

"Single gunshot to the chest."

"It that what killed him?"

"More then likely, but I will know for certain when we get him home." He handed Gibbs the man's wallet that he found in his pocket.

"Petty Officer Frank Smith." Gibbs said. "Stationed at Quantico."

Gibbs waked over to the first officer on the scene, a patrol named Trent Miller.

"Agent Gibbs." He said, showing his ID. "Any witnesses?"

"Not sure." The officer said. Several people heard the shot and a few came back here to see what happened, they saw a young teenage boy knelt by the dead man. He took off running, I'm not sure if he was a witness or the murderer." He handed Gibbs a piece of paper with the teen's description.

"Anyone know the victim?"

"No one I spoke with, but one of the clerks saws that the boy has been in here every Sunday for the past three weeks."

"Where?"

Miller pointed towards a teenage girl who was standing by a patrol car, he walked over to her and showed her his ID. The young girl was shivering and blowing on her hands to try to warm them.

"Come on." He said, gently taking her upper arm and leading her to NCIS van. He opened the passenger side door and she climbed in, Gibbs walked around and also got in. Then he turned the heat on high.

"Thank you." She said, holding her hands in front of the heating vent.

"What's your name?"

"Tiffany Harris." She said.

"Worked here long?"

"Just a couple months, after school and on weekends. Next year, I'll be a Senior. I'm trying to save some money for that."

"Officer Miller said you knew the boy who was beside the body."

"I think I saw him in here, if it's the same on. The description sounded like him." she looked down and said quietly, "I um hid when I heard the gunshot, I didn't go and check it out."

"That proves you're smart." Gibbs said. "You did the right thing."

She smiled slightly and looked back up. "He sounds like this cute guy that's been coming here for the last three Sundays."

"You ever talk to him?"

"Yes Sir, like I said, he's really cute. His name's Tony, but he never told me his last name."

"What do you know about him?"

"Not much, I know he's sixteen. And that he's either got frugal parents, or parents with not much money."

"What makes you say that?"

"He only buys the stuff that's on sale, I'm the same way though. On food that is, not clothes."

Gibbs smiled and asked "Anything else?"

"He's really nice, kinda flirty. And he's funny."

"He ever mention where he lived or his family?"

"No."

"Thank you for your time." He handed her his card. "If you see him, or can think of anything else, call me."

"Okay."

"And I know he's cute." He said, seriously. "But he may have committed a murder, so stay away from him. You see him, do not approach him."

"I won't."

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"Hey Boss." Stan said, as he walked over to Gibbs. "What did the clerk say? Does she know who our witness slash murder suspect it?"

"Only that he's cute and may be from a low income family."

"That's not much to go on."

"Really?" Gibbs asked, stepping closer to the younger man and invading his personal space. "Thank you for pointing that out, I never would have thought that."

"Um, I'm going to go look for more clues." Stan said, his voice nervous.

"That would be a good idea."

The young man hurried off.

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A little while later, the three agents walked in the forensics' lab. Amanda Graff was standing in front of her computer.

"Got something, Amanda?" Gibbs asked the young forensic scientist.

"A fingerprint from the Petty Officer's watch." She said. Amanda was in her late twenties and had been working for NCIS for three years. Her slender build and pretty face had most of the men working there flirting with her constantly, Including Stan.

"Get a match?" Gibbs wanted to know."

"Yeah, and you aren't going to like it." She said, as she walked over to the plasma and stated clicking the remote. A picture of a young teenage boy appeared on the screen, it was a mug shot.

"His name is Anthony DiNozzo." Amanda said. "He's only sixteen, this was taken a year ago."

"What's his story?" Gibbs asked, hoping that there was another explanation for his fingerprint being on the dead man's watch besides him being the one that killed him. He really didn't want to arrest a kid for murder.

"His parents were wealthy, but his Dad made a lot of poor investments. Anthony was sent to a boarding school when he was twelve and stayed there until last year when his Parents were killed by his Dad's business partner. They died owing a lot more money then they actually had and the government took everything to pay the debts. Anthony was left with no money and no family.

He was sent to a group home, which he ran away from the very next day. Three months later, he was arrested for trespassing. He was sleeping in an empty house. He was once again sent to a group home, he stayed there for a week before he split. Then he dropped of the grid, until now."

"Tony is short for Anthony." Kate said.

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More soon, what do you think?